Maritime service between India and Europe resumes transit through the Suez Canal

The ME1 maritime route, jointly operated by Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, will once again connect India and Europe via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. The decision was announced on November 2, 2026, after an assessment of security conditions in the region, and replaces the route around the Cape of Good Hope.

The first westbound voyage will be made by the Atlanta Express, voyage 644W, scheduled to depart from Salalah, Oman, on November 4. Eastbound, the operation will be initiated by the Savannah Express, voyage 644E, from Tangier, Morocco. The companies announced different dates for this departure: Hapag-Lloyd indicates November 12, while Maersk points to November 13. The date is subject to operational changes.

Maersk calls the service ME1, while Hapag-Lloyd calls it the Indian Ocean Service (IOS). The rotation will retain its Indian calls at Mundra and Nhava Sheva, also known as JNPA. In Europe, the schedule includes Tangier, Rotterdam, Wilhelmshaven, Hamburg, London, and Algeciras, before returning via the Suez Canal and Salalah to Mundra.

The resumption is expected to reduce transit times between Indian and European ports compared with the route around the African continent. The companies, however, did not state how many days would be saved or release new detailed transit times between each port.

The change is specific to the ME1/IOS service and does not represent the simultaneous return of the entire Gemini network to the Red Sea. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd said they will continue monitoring security conditions and that traffic through the region will depend on operational stability. The protection of crews, ships, and cargo remains a criterion for maintaining the route.